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L. C. WRIGHT, OF LCKFORT, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 616-17, dated January 29, 1867.

IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE.

'T0 ALL WHOM 'IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, LC. WRIGHT, of Lockport, iu the county ofNiagara, :md State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in, Washing Machines; and I do hereby declare tlfat tb`e following isl a full and exact "description thereof, reference being had to' the accompanyirg drawings, making part of this specification. I

Figure 1 is a perspective' view of my improved machine.

Figure 2, a vertical section of the same. l

Figure 3, a cross-section of the roller detached, and with a sheet wound around it in the position for washing.

Figure 4, a diagram, showing the method of inserting and removing the roller.

Like letters of reference'indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

My invention consists inv the employment of a roller made up-of rounds or slats, in combinationwith a reciprocating rubber arranged in such a manner that the article being washed can 'be i'edthrough, from end to` end, or reversed, and still remain under the control of the operator; or 'in case of a large article, such, for instance, as a sheet, the same can be wound around the roller'and be indefinitely subjected `to acton, asy herein- 'after Set forth. y v i I AsV represented in the drawings, A isa box or receptacle of suitable -form restingon legs, orotherwise, as may be desired. Invtbis, near one end, is mounted a roller, B,`made up of. heads d a, andrrounds or slats, b b, situated at suitablcd istances apart, as shown, so as to allow the water a free passage through them. Ifhe journals e of the roller rest in open slots d of bearings as shown in iig. 4, so that the roller canbe easily removed from place. Over this roller restsa reciprocating rubbeu, preferably made somewhat convex, as shown. It consists of side pieces g g, with connecting rounds hh, and a handle, i, at the outer end, by which it is operated. At the opposite end is a` bearing, lc, connecting with hangers Z, attached to a rock-shaft, m,'r esting in standards. n. By this arrangement it will be seen that the rubber may be operated back and forth, or turned over away from the box, as indicated by red lines, iig. 2. The clothes to be washed are placed upon the roller, and then subjected' to action by the' rubber. y The friction of the rubber gives motion to the-roller, and the article beingwashed is carried through to the 'extent of the sweepof the former. Thus it will be seen that the action is a pressing, rather thaura rubbing one, as where a stationary bed is employed. AThe effect is somewhat similar to 'that where a travelling roller passes over an extended bed, but with the advantage that the' clothes are under the control of the operator, as they can be fed forwarder back at pleasure. In this respect,' the action is very similar to washing by hand, which cannotbc attained in theuse of va;travelling roller. In my arrangement I also secure the advantage of great lcompactuess and economy of space, for the use of the stationary noller with the reciprocating rubber requires hardly more than the length of the latter, whereas if a. roller yis, used over a stationary bed, the latter must be of comparatively great length to give any effect to the roller in washing. In a word, I am. enabled to manipulater the clothes 4with a facilityalmost equa-l to rubbing by band, While at the same time I place theapparatus iu the most compact and simple.,form. In addition to the above, I can wash ldrge articles, such, for instance, as sheets, with great facility by simply winding the same around the roller, as indicated in tig. 3, and then'actuating the roller under the'rubber only in one direction, which keepsthe article 'constantlyv wound up. In this case, the water coming in contact with the under side keeps the cloth constantly soaked. I am aware -of no other arrangement in whichthis effect can beiproduced. The convex form of the rubber gives the best eifect to the rubbing action, and also better preserves the contact. with the roller. At the same time the great flexibility-of the rubber, produced bythe construction explained, enables the parts to be kept together. l

What Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the stationary revolving roller B, with the reciprocating rubber C,

operating in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

' L. C. WRIGHT.

Witnesses A ALEX. FRASER, J E. Snavnn. 

